estanciero

An estanciero was the owner or manager of an estancia, a large rural estate primarily used for cattle ranching and sometimes grain cultivation. These estates were prominent in the Río de la Plata region, encompassing parts of Argentina and Uruguay.12

Estancieros acquired vast tracts of land, particularly in Argentina's Pampas, which by the late 19th century were largely enclosed into these estates. Some families owned hundreds of thousands of acres. Similar to fazendeiros in Brazil and hacendados in Mexico, estancieros held significant lawmaking and judicial authority over their tenant farmers and servants. This power, akin to that of medieval feudal lords, was sometimes misused by the estancieros or their overseers, especially while the landlords resided in luxury in cities.13